KARACHI: Federal Minister of Interior Rehman Malik, whose Pakistan Peoples Party counts Lyari as one of its key vote banks in Karachi, said on late on Thursday that an operation by the police, rangers in the locality was unpleasant, but necessary, before he gave criminal elements entrenched in Lyari up to 72 hours to lay down their arms.
Lyari, where the police has been engaged with armed criminals in pitched battles for seven straight days, has seen a number of police officials, passer bys, being killed along with scores being injured.
Addressing a joint press conference with Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah at the Chief Minister house, Malik said that all criminal elements had 72 hours to surrender themselves to the nearest Rangers checkpost. After this deadline expires, no leniency will be shown to any one.
Talking about some aspects of the plan to rid Lyari of violence, Malik said that after 72 hours, “if during the rangers sweep, any house from which a rocket, or grenade, or any criminal is found, it has been decided today that that house will be burnt down."
Detailing steps that had been taken against criminals, Malik said that they had acquired systems that allows law enforcement agencies to have aerial monitoring of each lane of Lyari.
He added that the had concrete evidence that pointed towards the involvement of a number of banned groups were operating including the Taliban, Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Baloch Liberation Army, other Baloch separatists. In fact, he said that the situation in Lyari mirrored what they had seen in Malakand, Swat.
In response to a question he said that if it is found that the weapons recovered from Lyari is old, then he will resign from his post as Interior Minister.
He also announced Rs0.5million as aid for the police officers, journalists, and citizens injured during the Lyari operation. While police officers killed in Lyari operation will be awarded. A Pakistan Police Medal for SHO Nawaz and Sitara-e-Shujahat for the DSPs and Pakistan Police Medal for SSP, for demonstrating courage and leading role during the operation.
SSP Chaudhry Aslam, who is heading the police operation in Lyari and has survived bomb attacks, has also been given Sitara-e-Shujahat for his highly dedicated and professional courage demonstrated by him.
The Interior Minister said that he was creating another checkpost at Hub and will be clipping the unfrequented six routes, used by smugglers, while on the main road, police, rangers, FIA, customs and the coast guards will be used to increase checking.
Malik said that 36 cameras with digital lines have been ordered to be installed in Lyari over the next four days and its control will be with the police headquarters where monitoring shall take place. Additionally, Police had been given four helicopters with machine guns to monitor and provide cover for ground offences by police.
In response to a question he said that if it is found that the weapons recovered from Lyari is old, then he will resign from his post as Interior Minister.
Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah said that they have formulated a plan for the Lyari operation and that Rangers will take part in the operation.
COMMENTS (15)
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Who gives 72 hours to criminals? why exactly they need 72 hours?..so the criminals can buy cheap ticket instead of 12 hours full price price ticket, book a hotel room on priceline?? or they have so many obligations that need at least 72 hours to wind up their house, give 3 days notice their employer, pay their bills, meet the family, call their friends? We must be the dumbest nation in the world. We deserve to be where we are.
Malik, u r pathetic! We need statesmen not junkies to run the state! I don’t know how did u make it to be interior minister,, ??? u don’t know the dynamics of the situationMalik, u r pathatic! we need statesmen not junkies to run the state!
Bechara RM.
Lyari was a peaceful area. Because of the people of lyari ppp always won and lyari was always the heart of ppp. And now they class them as criminals because they gonna lose their votes. But in so many years what did ppp give in return. Areas of mqm av all the facilities and advantages. The lyari people have sacrificed to much for ppp. Now they are in their senses they don't want ppp anymore. It does not take a rocket scientist to know why all this is happening. Aman commitee of lyari meet someone from nawaaz group n All this happens. N first of all who gave them these wepons. Nabeel gabol has always won from there and never done anything for lyari people. Living in a 5star luxury life himself. Why don't they get the rangers involved. Cnbc channel is showing more of a clear picture of who are the real criminals. Police are attacking cnbc vehicles. Not allowing ambulances and doctors to enter for rescue. Not allowing food supplies being sent. It shows about ppp. Rafiq engineer and shazia marri talking without realising their conversation is on air. Disgusting.
are you kidding me??!! has malik gone clinically insane???!!! what is the matter with this guy?? he is just going to burn houses down of people??!!! someone really really needs to replace him and fast before the people who survive their gfs and wives can be burned in their own homes.. or maybe, their wives or gfs are burning the houses themselves?!
I'm not sure about the burning down thing. Only because it can easily get out of control and cause a mess. The ones in the building, if not instantly killed by the action could even help it to spread. Aside from that. At least some backbone is being shown. If they aren't wiped out, especially using a tactic like that of the earlier "olive branch" article, you'll be digging your own grave. It's comparable to giving them permission to still exist and be unaccountable to the law. It may be a law of the jungle sort of thing but, their existence at all is them being the dominant party and the government being that of a lower tier. You have to assert your own dominance in a very clear manner. They're animals, so treat them as animals.
"if during the rangers sweep, any house from which a rocket, or grenade, or any criminal is found, it has been decided today that that house will be burnt down.” What is the difference between a criminal and a law enforcer if both of them are doing extrajudicial vigilante justice. Burning down the house will be equal to guilt by asociation and punishment to other resident will be counted as a collateral damage? Almost sounds like a drone attack. If this happens it will meet one, among others, of the criteria of failed state i.e. lack of day in court. This is also a clear admission that rocket and grenade are freely availble in this part of the Pakistan.
"Talking about some aspects of the plan to rid Lyari of violence, Malik said that after 72 hours, “if during the rangers sweep, any house from which a rocket, or grenade, or any criminal is found, it has been decided today that that house will be burnt down.”
So in this plan of action, will civilians being used as human shields by criminals not die? What about the fact that the people firing rockets and gunfire have not been convicted y the court? Or do all these concerns only come into play when it is a drone?
Good decision! this should be Operation clean up
I wonder if liberals will be as excited about this operation as Swat operation?
There are photos and videos of people hiding their faces who are going in with the police to conduct operations in lyari. These people are the gang members and militants from rival parties who are taking revenge on PAC by using the cover of police.It has been reported in the media that these people are wearing the uniforms of the police and FC and are being used by the Sindh police to help them in killing off the people's aman committee members. What sort of justice is this.Giving police uniforms to rival gang members and militants from rival parties to attack the people of lyari only makes the police look bad.Everyone knows who these people with their faces hidden,riding with the sindh police are.This is a political vendetta that is being settled on the streets of lyari.
RM should first produce the missing persons - he is very bad news.
So now the government is demonizing the people of lyari.Did the sindh police just realise this now that there are criminals in lyari, what a conincidence that the sindh government discovers the presence of criminals in lyari at the same time as the aman committee starts speaking out against the ppp leadership,before that these aman committee ppl were the trusted jiyalas of lyari. This is all a political operation,in which state machinery is being used to kill of one group so a more obedient gang can be put in control of lyari.Lyari is not the only place in karachi where there is crime,the sindh government is too scared of doing operations in the other areas.
Deliberate targetting of only Baloch areas & leaving other areas where terrorists/criminals are in plenty reveals the truth about this operation.It's not an operation against crime,it's just an operation to eliminate the group that has rebelled against its masters and now a new gang is being put in charge of lyari. Why isn't there any operation in other areas of karachi? It's been four years for this govt.,but they don't have the courage to do operation in other areas.
We would like to issue a 48 hour deadline for "Dr" Rehman Malik to resign. He has utterly failed to maintain any peace in Karachi and in Pakistan for that matter.